Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-25

over in 1861 he again accepted the
portfolio OF Attorney-Gener1L he
l,ld this Office and was the Govern
mont leader until 1857, when tho Cans
dian union wa5 cf. cted. During tne
,ast two years Of this period no was
Minister OF Ai.itia,e Previous to 1861
his public sDryicCs" Included various
visits 10 England on business Of import
aucc and IN 1854 p" WAS delegate to
Chariottetown to lAe conference con-
youcd for The purpose Of ciiecting a
luion OF The maritime provinces.
10 this great statesman it fell to
form the first Government for the Con-
.deratiou, so that he'wasits first Prime
irister. This Office he held until
i,73. in 1871 Macdonald was ap-
.ointod one OF her Majestys high
commission. rs plenipoten;laries for tao
.eitlement Il IT, Alabama cliims ana
matters in dispute between tho United
States aud Great Britain. 1e hashelj
ais present Office Of Prime Minister and
resident Of the Queens IriVy Coun-
cil since tho year 1873. 4 detailed ac-
count Of his public services shows that
ne las filed every Office but one in the
Canadian Cabinet. Sir John \. Mac
donald received the honor OF X. Q. B.
ia 1867 IN tho list OF hIs academic
-rd professional titles i that Of ID. G.
l., given ham by tie University OF OK
lord, England, IN 1850.
The measures carried through Parit-
uent hv the Canadian statesman in
rlude tie improvement OF the criminal
.avs. the promotion Of public instruc-
ton, the extension OF TIE municipal
.- stem. the establishment OF the direct
seam mail route TO Europe, the con
st1uction of the lnter-ColOnial railway,
tie enlargement OF the canals, the con-
r,Geratiom Of British North America,
and the extension and Consolidation Of
iha Dominion. Premier Macdonald is
the father Of the protection policy Of
1919. still in force, IS the C2najlan
people have ratified it il every succeed
ing election.
lie is now On old man, but still COM
MAIDS bis wonderful mental energy,
md he is well preserved physiclly.
he great Tory Ninisterof the Domin-
ion is q deliberate, exact spoak.r, per
haps a triAe dry from the American
standpoint. but the productions OF his
pen show that he is far from being def
Gent in fancy and imagination. He
avoids rhetoric in his parliamentary
speeches, and persuades by the force Of
close augmentation.
His disposition is genial. and his
| habits may possibly be called convlVial
without incurring the danger OF ex-
acgeIation. The present Lady Mac
donald is the Premior's second wife.
Is regards the attitude of Sir John
| A. Macdonald toward this country, he
savors reciprocity, meaning IN unre-
siricted interchange OF the natural pro-
duets OF the two countries, 10 be spe-
cited 10y agreement. He thinks that
commercial union between Canada aud
the United States would work iniuri-
| ously TO both countries-tO Canada be-
cause her manufacturers eaunot com
pete with ours, to tho United States
| mainly because itwould open the way
TO surreptitious introduction OF Eng
hsh-manufactured goods. An assimi-
l.ton Of tarifs he does not regard as
practicable. As regards annexation he
thinks il is better for all concerned that
there should be two nations on this
continent with different systems, and,
to IN extent, different interests, each
friendly TO the other and with such
ground for an occasional squabble be-
| tween them as the fisheries offer.